The Tragic Death Of Don Wilson, The Co-Founder Of The Ventures

Don Wilson, co-founder of groundbreaking surf-rock group The Ventures, died at age 88 on January 22, People reported. Also the group's rhythm guitarist, Wilson's family informed People he died of natural causes surrounded by his four children in Tacoma, Washington. "Our dad was an amazing rhythm guitar player who touched people all over world with his band, The Ventures," his son Tim said in a statement. "He will have his place in history forever and was much loved and appreciated. He will be missed."

With Tacoma also being Wilson's hometown, the rocker founded The Ventures with friend Bob Bogle in 1958, per People. After their 1960 single "Walk, Don't Run" became a No. 2 hit in the country (per NPR), the band quickly skyrocketed to worldwide stardom, with the song inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame that year. From there, throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, 38 of the band's albums charted domestically and 14 of their singles landed on the Billboard Hot 100. Having sold a total of over 100 million records, per NPR, The Ventures are officially the best-selling instrumental band of all time. Also having written songs for such hit films as "Pulp Fiction," 'Zoolander," "Kangaroo Jack," and "Dogtown," the group was inducted into the 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame themselves. Until retiring in 2015, per NPR, Wilson was so committed to The Ventures that he never missed one tour with his band.

In addition to their impressive chart records and status as Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, The Ventures have also inspired musical legends such as The Beatles, Beach Boys, Go-Go's, and Kiss, per People. In fact, Gene Simmons was even in the band's fan club at one point, while George Harrison told Guitar Player Magazine once that he preferred The Ventures' American guitar styling to those of his British contemporaries. 

That is a mighty fine legacy considering that Wilson and Ventures co-founder Bob Bogle got their fateful start while working as bricklayers in Tacoma, Washington. Purchasing their first guitars and chord books at a pawnshop in 1958, Wilson once reminisced, per NPR, "They were just really cheap guitars. They didn't stay in tune very well. But we wanted to learn."

Wilson also reflected on his band's status as musical pioneers to People in 2020, revealing, "We never set out to be a surf band. Honestly, I love playing surf music — it's very fun and it makes you feel good. But we never really considered ourselves a surf band. It was just all these things coming together — the surf culture, the electric guitar, Americana," adding that the band enjoyed all genres of music — which Wilson quipped was "our 'Venturizing' of everything from classical to disco."